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Last week, the Trinidad and
Tobago Manufacturers Asso-
ciation held a conference
which highlighted a number of
problems faced by the business
sector in general and manufac-
turing in particular. In this elec-
tion season, those concerns are
worth examining.
They ranged from a labour
shortage, the unproductive atti-
tude of some workers and the
comparative unreliability of men
compared to women---the fact
that they are less productive and
energetic than their female coun-
terparts in the workplace.
The shortage of labour
loomed large. Chairman of the
Bermudez Group of companies,
Robert Bermudez, is in "no doubt
that the State, as the largest
employer at 40 per cent, has
some responsibility for the short-
age." Manufacturers and business
people have said that one of the
main reasons---though not the
only one---is dysfunctional state
social welfare programmes, and
their effect on attitudes to work.
They note that it has been the
case for decades. For some casual
workers, if the choice is between
being engaged in non-taxing,
shorter hours of work with the
Community-based Environmental
Protection and Enhancement
Programme (CEPEP) and the
Unemployment Relief Programme
(URP) on salaries that are com-
parable to those that they d enjoy
in normal work, then it is not a
difficult one to make. Not every-
one confronting the choice
between employment and welfare
see things that way, of course.
Many, particularly of an older
generation, have always taken
pride in work, longevity of serv-
ice, and show an admirable
attachment to the corporate
cause, particularly in companies
that have a track record of treat-
ing their workers well. It s
emerged that many such pro-
grammes are passed on from
generation to generation. The
people now on the programmes
had parents and relatives on sim-
ilar government "make-work"
programmes. Chairman of Asso-
ciated Brands Arthur Lok Jack
said with unemployment down to
3.5 per cent, workers at factories
make the calculation that they
cannot be fired as there are no
alternatives.
Another manufacturer noted
that wholesale importation of
labour from the OECS and else-
where is clearly not the solution
to the local labour problem. It
starts in schools, some manufac-
turers felt, where the curricula
need to be made more relevant
to the needs of the workforce.
But the efforts need to be more
wide-ranging. The research insti-
tutions affiliated with business
have to create solutions directly
related to the conditions unique
to Trinidad and Tobago and the
Caribbean---in other words bring
the best employment training
methodologies home and make
them relevant to us. The National
Productivity Centre too must join
the conversation between busi-
ness and government. Work poli-
cy has been tainted by politics
for decades, with the strongly
held perception that parties poli-
cies are informed by rewarding
loyal supporters when they win.
It is a perception that the parties
need to fight, not least through
their actions and policies once in
office. Trade Minister Vasant
Bharath has been talking about
converting CEPEP. That is right
and laudable, but it has been said
for many decades.
The political parties should
state clearly where they stand on
business, employment, work pro-
grammes and welfare issues, and
where those systems don t func-
tion well, say how they would fix
it.The country s business and
manufacturing sector needs
assurances that they are potential
partners in resolving the prob-
lems, rather than---as has been
noted with the labour shortage---
unwitting enablers of those prob-
lems.
Addressing manufacturers' concerns
The country's business and manufacturing sector needs assurances that they
are potential partners in resolving the problems, rather than---as has been noted
with the labour shortage---unwitting enablers of those problems.
A product of Guardian Media Ltd
Contact us
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Every year thousands of people look
forward to what our songwriters and
music publishers will deliver.
These "entertainers" and the field
they are in continue to receive lower
levels of respect than those whose
talents are used in other fields of
endeavour. The artiste cannot afford to
write simply for love of labour whether
itbeasong,aplayorabook.
For all these efforts there must be a
fair return in support of output. These
providers of creative content must be
rewarded for their efforts. It can only
happen if there is an effective policy of
copyright laws and the policing of them
and more importantly, respect for
creative work.
Friday, there were Copyright Day
activities in Barbados. But, we dare say,
they were too little and too limited to
be effective. The message must be
hammered home for there to be full
understanding and appreciation of the
importance of intellectual property in
helping to promote free markets and
competition. Consider the pressure the
Americans apply globally to protect the
interest of their creative content
producers. Too many people in
Barbados still believe that creators are
different from others in the knowledge
economy. That is why people who are
otherwise law-abiding download and
buy pirated copies of music and
movies--local or foreign--and software.
Based on the cries of the local
copyright agency, even some of the big
distribution channels of international
movies and news content have little
regard for the laws. We need to take
heed of the theme for this year's World
Intellectual Property Day, observed
yesterday, which interestingly is
focused on music: Get up, Stand up. For
Music. Better yet, Get up, stand up. For
creativity.---Barbados Nation
Sound Off: Respect artiste copyright
A22
MONDAY,
APRIL 27,
2015
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